Social Media Strategies

Small business owners frequently ask us how they should be using social media.  The fact is that there is not a cookie cutter answer to that question.  There definitely should be a strategy, but the plan will look different for every business if it is based on that company's unique brand identity as it should be.

"To have a social media strategy, you need to know what you want to achieve. Don’t start without a clear SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, time-specific) objective. " ~ Speed Summary, The New Rules of Marketing and PR(source: SocialCommerceToday.com)

According to this great summary of the book The New Rules of Marketing and PR on SocialCommerceToday.com, there are three basic social media strategies: "Entertain Me" (Stunt Strategy), "Help Me" (Thought Leadership Strategy) and "Love Me" (Fan Strategy).

The first, "Entertain Me" aims to get third-party coverage in mainstream media from a social media PR stunt.  You can use social media to establish your expertise, credibility and authority with a "Help Me" approach.  Finally, a "Love Me" strategy drives loyalty and advocacy from your customers.

As to what combination of strategies you use will depend on your specific business.  If you are like most small business owners, finding time to read books on business is difficult.  If that is the case, you can link to the book summary on SocialCommerceToday.comfor a more in-depth explanation of the social media concepts presented in the book.

If you have further questions, feel free to contact us.